Young adults often click away from 2008 election news online because they feel news sites bombard them with too much information and too many choices, according to a new study released by Northwestern University’s Media Management Center.
“To serve and attract this important group, news organizations need to develop online election resources that are specifically designed to minimize this “too much” sensation,” said Michael P. Smith, executive director of the Media Management Center (MMC).
The report, titled “From ‘Too Much’ to ‘Just Right’: Engaging Millennials in Election News on the Web,” is based on a qualitative, in-depth study of a diverse group of 89 Chicago-area adults between the ages of 17 and 22, a demographic frequently referred to as millennials. To view the report, visit http://www.mediamanagementcenter.org/research/youthelection.pdf.
The report found that while millennials are interested in the elections and want information about the candidates and issues, they don’t want to spend much time following day-to-day developments. However, they do appreciate news sites that help them—and other new voters—understand the basics about the candidates, issues and election process. [full story]
REACTION
I'm 30 years old, one generation older than the Millennials referred to in this story. I'm a bit of a grandfather type to a 17 year old -- married, one child -- but in the grand scheme of things, I'm decidedly in the "whipper snapper" category.
I've been seriously thinking about my place in the realm of politics and believe that I have a sound base of knowledge and desire to speak out about the topics in the political realm -- a voice, so to speak. Now, I love to read some of the bloggers and columnists out there that are analyzing the political game, but the one thing that consistently comes up is how old all the columnists are. This is the lineup for my about-to-be-hometown newspaper:
Not a young, fresh face in the lineup. A columnist is supposed to break down all the events going on around us and my question is: Are these people able to speak to me -- a 30 year old male -- in a way that is relevant and in a way that I can understand or, more importantly, be interested in?
I don't believe they will or can.
So here I am with the skills to analytically break it down and spit it back and smack dab in the middle of a majorly underserved demographic in terms of news and politics. This is my move to give a generation -- the young, working generation -- of Americans new analysis in language and form you can understand, highlighting the areas Generation Xers and Yers find important.
We'll head out on the journey side by side and I hope that you, the loyal readers, will hit this road with me. If you have questions feel free to ask and we'll see if we can work it out together.
Politics and citizen responsibilities are important and affect all of our lives. But it can be amazingly boring hearing old fogies break it all down! Here is your anti-fogie alternative. Hope you get something out of it and make it a regular stop on your journey to knowledge and enlightenment, with the goal of being better informed.
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